I find it really hard to stay inspired all the time specially in a place like software industry. My only respite lies in the fact that I am in majority, and a pretty substantial one. What are the hurdles, well... managers, repetitive and grunt work, and always lesser than deserved recognition, to name a few. What does it tell about the industry. Its pathetic, strained and devoid of creativity? not quite. There are challenges, sense of achievement, moments to treasure. Despite its soul sucking deadlines and motivation killing responses from higher ups in the hierarchy it is still a place to show who you are and what you can do. You can jump into a problem solve it, give contributions that would be remembered. This is a  industry where we always can express ourselves through code. Help others by fixing theirs. Its a result of undeniable urge to learn and share. So its definitely not all bad. Then? sometimes the bad can last for far too long and can affect you far too much. And after all your effort you can simply be kicked out, as the team now needs to downsized., or the failure might be pinned down to you and the people might just move on  as if you never existed. Its then when you make decisions like leaving the team, company and sometimes even the stream all together. Believe me its a tough job. Not just because what it takes, but also because how little it seems to give back sometimes. Over and above that when you find people who don't give a damn, but get almost and sometimes even more than you, you are forced to ask... why should I work hard?  why/how should I stay inspired. There are people who have made their cubicles into small real estate shops. All they know is property, shares, mutual funds.. if you ask about technology they are quick to say .. I am totally new to this .. I would have to read... I really do not know but we can attack the problem tomorrow. If all you want is bulging bank accounts, low self esteem but higher share prices, no new technology but a new flat and new cars, this is a perfectly convenient way to go. However you would have to understand and accept that you would not be respected. You would be treated as a burden that the team has to bear. But to my surprise some people are comfortable with that too. These are the people who have identified the loop holes in the system and decided to exploit them rather than trying to plug them up. Industry, sadly, is not mature enough to distinguish between these and others. Now where is the source of inspiration. I believe it in a choice. Choice of which side we want to be. A dedicated programmer who does his best where ever he is asked to perform, or a shirker who waits for someone to come and take tickets from his task queue. Monetary returns alas might still be same, but I guess its not about the money .. its about feeling good about yourself, respect for your insatiable thirst to learn and your desire to make things better. Its in a belief that someone mightier, is also watching.